As Kansas becomes the latest state to take action to protect minors from the dangers of indoor tanning, ACS CAN Kansas volunteer Tracey Nicodemus shares a guest blog on the direct impact indoor tanning has had on her family and her efforts to protect others from the same dangers.
The summer season kicks off today with Don't Fry Day, an annual day dedicated to encouraging good sun safety behavior to prevent skin cancer. As the American Cancer Society's Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Len, will tell you, it's critically important to wear good sunscreen and shade your skin from the sun starting at an early age. In addition to protecting yourself from the harmful rays of the sun, it's also important to avoid indoor tanning beds -- especially important for youth.
As a father, I know how attractive tanning beds can seem to youth who want tan skin all year round. My wife strongly discouraged my daughter while she was growing up from using tanning beds because she was concerned about her risk of getting skin cancer. That's why I was fully supportive and very excited about a historic new law California enacted this month that bans the use of tanning beds for those under 18.